Marks & Spencer digitalizes store-level product management
Marks & Spencer is building on its efforts to streamline and enhance store operations.
The British apparel and food retailer is deploying the Vusion Connected Store platform, including the EdgeSense smart rail system, to a number of new Marks & Spencer stores with further rollout potential in the future. Built on Bluetooth-enabled infrastructure, EdgeSense is designed to help connect store systems, product information and associate activity more effectively across the store floor.
The initial deployment will focus on practical operational improvements, including managing product information more effectively, enabling associates to locate products through location-aware capabilities such as flashing labels, simplifying in-store inventory processes, and creating a digital foundation that may support further store innovation over time.
Marks & Spencer has been investing in modernizing store operations and improving the in-store experience for both shoppers and associates. This effort includes the company’s extension of a hosted IT services contract with Diebold Nixdorf through 2028. The agreement includes support services for the entire store fleet as well as implementation services for stores and distribution centers, and software services.
[READ MORE: Marks & Spencer boosts store productivity with devices, software]
The expanded set of hosted services and solutions includes:
- Remote management of in-store technology devices.
- Tools for store staff self-help including process descriptions and videos that will allow them to solve issues on their own without direct support from field engineers.
- A button on employee mobile devices to report in-store incidents, eliminating the ticketing process.
- Self-healing software that can detect a problem and independently start a process to rectify it, such as automatically restarting the system.
Marks & Spencer is also adding self-checkouts to fitting rooms in its 180 clothing stores, as first reported The Telegraph. The move is designed to prevent shoppers from having to get in line twice during the shopping experience. The self-checkouts are expected to be rolled out to about 100 stores by early 2028.
"We are pleased to be working with Marks & Spencer as it continues to invest in its store estate and colleague experience,” said Roy Horgan, CEO UK & Ireland at Vusion. “Our Connected Store platform is designed to help retailers improve operational execution while providing the infrastructure to support future innovation."
